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Ely’s winter tourism reputation took a giant leap forward last
week when the Tomahawk Trail was listed as one of “The 10 Best
Incomparable Snowmobile Adventures.”
The surprise award came from Supertrax International, a 250,000
circulation snowmobile magazine.
“This will have a super impact on us,” said Ely Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director Linda Fryer.
“That type of publicity is what we need and want. You can’t buy
advertising at any level and get the same results as an award like
this one,” said Fryer.
Of the 10 areas listed, seven are in Canada with the other two U.S.
sites being the Snowy Mountains in Wyoming and Wild Elko in Nevada.
Wow. What a compliment to our area and the Ely Igloo snowmobile
club,” said Igloo Club President Nick Wognum. “The credit should go
to our club members who volunteer to maintain the snowmobile trail and our groomer operators who keep it smooth.”
The Fall 2004 edition of SUPER-TRAX has write-ups on each of the 10
best snowmobile trail locations. The story on the Tomahawk
Snowmobile Trail focuses on its remoteness
and connection between Ely and the North Shore.
“Woven by time, travail and timber through some of mid-America’s
deepest, least civilized and most remote country, the Tomahawk
snowmobile trail links
the incredible scenery of the 154-mile Lake Superior North Shore
Trail with one of Minnesota’s best developed trail hubs at Ely,
Minnesota, a town Charles Kuralt called one of the most authentic
northern experiences in America,” the article states.
The 85-mile Tomahawk trail known for being a snowmobile trail where
riders don’t pass up a gas station.
“The Tomahawk Snowmobile Trail is a vision of remoteness with few roads to cross, no
towns, few cabins and only one or two gas pumps along its length to
offer succor to the unprepared,” the article states.
That remoteness offer unique challenges to the local snowmobile
club.
“We have had to drive over two hours to get from Ely to a groomer
broken down on the trail and when it’s 20 below and 2 a.m., it can
be a long ride and a long wait for the groomer operator,” said
Wognum.
“We also struggle funding-wise at times with only five businesses
located along the trail. Each year we get DNR funding through the
grant-in-aid system, but it’s never enough to get the job done
right. Now our club is selling pull-tabs to help pay the bills,”
said Wognum.
The Tomahawk snowmobile Trail is the middle link between two state
snowmobile trails
maintained and groomed by the DNR, the Taconite and the North Shore
trails.
Fryer agreed that the club has gone above and beyond to keep the
snowmobile trail open and groomed.
“A lot of credit has to go to the Ely Igloo snowmobile club because
they’ve done a lot of work on the trail the past couple of years,”
said Fryer. “Snowmobilers have noticed the improvements and now
we’re getting national and international recognition as well.”
The club also grooms and maintains a number of local trails in and
around Ely, but the Tomahawk is the biggest challenge each winter.
“If it wasn’t for a group of retired guys who have rebuilt at least
three bridges on the trail, I don’t know how we’d do it,” said
Wognum. “We have worked closely with the Forest Service as well
since parts of the trail are on federal land, but our volunteers
make it all happen.”
The Ely Igloo Club will be meeting several times this month,
including a meeting on October 27 where plans will be put together
for brushing the entire length of the Tomahawk and removing downed
trees.
“Even after the snowmobile season starts we still have chainsaws in each groomer because of the number of trees along the trail that can
become hazards. The Tomahawk is a fantastic trail for snowmobilers
to ride, but it’s a never-ending job to keep it maintained,” said
Wognum.
The article goes on to say, “You can count on seeing trees growing
so tight together the native American name for the area - ‘Land of
No-Place-Between’ - makes perfect sense. You’ll see boulders so big
the deepest winter snows can’t cover them, and rushing rivers so
wild no sub-zero cold can still them.”
“The article does a great job of capturing what those of us who have
ridden the Tomahawk have come to know and love,” said Wognum. “Now
we just need another winter with lots of snow so we can enjoy trails
like the Tomahawk and all they have to offer.”
10 Best Snowmobile Adventures
Supertrax International’s 10 Best Snowmobile Adventures
- Lanaudiere Region, Quebec
- Wild Elko, Nevada
- James Bay, Moosonee, Ontario
- Lapland, Northern Europe
- Chaudiere-Applaches, Quebec
- Tomahawk Trail, Ely, MN
- Haliburton Forest, Ontario
- Snowy Mountains, Wyoming
- Revelstoke, British Columbia
- Algonquin Park, Ontario
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